Gate for railway-crossings



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. A. LIDBACK.

.GATE PoR RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

No. 359,163. Patented Mar. 8, 1887.

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J. A. LIDBAGK.

GATE POR RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

No. 359,163. Patented Mar. 8, 1887.

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JOI-IN ALBERT LIDBACK, OF DEERING, MAINE.

GATE FOR RAILWAY-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 359,163, dated March 8, 1887.

Application filed -August 14, i884. Renewed July (i, 1886. Serial No. 207,262. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern.

Beit known that I, J onN ALBERT LIDBAOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deering, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates for Railway-Orossings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXactdeseription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to gates for railwayerossings and other passages capable of a vertically-swinging motion effected by suitable mechanism operated by compressed air, steam, water, or other duid under pressure.

The object of my invention is to provide a gate or gates for crossings which may be operated from a gate-house at the will of the operator or automatically yfrom a distance by a moving train or vehicle.

The .invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed, whereby a vertically-swinging gate is actuated by a iiuid under pressure as the motive power to open and close the same.

The invention, as shown in the drawings, is adapted to railwayrrossings; butit is obvious that it may be used as an obstruction to any other passage or crossing with equal advantage.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of myimproved gate-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the gate-post and gate. Fig. 3 is a detail showing an arrangement of two-way cocks for admitting and exhausting the fluid to and from the cylinders.

A is a hollow gate-post, preferably of castiron, having a forwardly-projeeting part, A, which serves as a bracket for supporting` the gate-shaft M. Upon the shaft M is keyed or otherwise secured the segment-gear D. rIhis gear swings with the gate-carrying shaft within the hollow gate-post and between the sides or anges of the projection or bracket.

Within the hollow gate-post, and extending usually from top to bottom thereof, is secured a hollow cylinder, B, provided with heads E E', having passages s s, leading, respectively, to the ends of the cylinder. 'Ihese heads are held in position, and the cylinder is also adjusted vertically to its proper position by means of setserews K K, which pass, respectively,

.through the base-plate and cover of the hollow post. The cylinder B is provided with a slot or opening through its front side, within and through which the segment-gear works.

Vthin the cylinder B is a reciprocating plunger or duplex piston, C, cut away opposite its middle part, and provided with rack c, with which the segmentvgear D meshes. 'Ihe plunger is provided atits extremities with suitable packing, c', as shown, and is of such relative length that when the gate is in its horizontal position the upper end or piston will beat restagainst the upper cylinder-head, E', and when it is in its vertical position the lower end of the plunger or piston is against the bottom cylinder-head, E.

For convenience in assembling the parts, an opening is made through the' front side of the projection or bracket A, which is, however, subsequently closed by a plate, G. The top of the gate-post is also closed and protected by a cap, J, and to this cap or other suitable part of the support is secured a whistle, L, adapted to be sounded by compressed air, steam, or other elastic fluid under pressure. The whistle is connected with the compressedair reservoir by an independent pipe, and is operated at the will of the attendant for giving the alarm before and during the movement of the gate, and, indeed, at any time that it is deemed expedient.

F F are passages or pipes leading from a main reservoir to the opposite ends of the cylinder. These pipes are provided with suitable two-way cocks so connected that in turning to open one of them the other is closed and the air within the cylinder is permitted to escape.

The gate-arm base is composed of two parts, H H, supported by and connected to the shaft M, which extends through the post, as shown in Fig. 2. These base-pieces have weighted ends II II, to counterbalance the weight of the gatearm. The ends to which the arm is attached are brought together, as shown in Fig. 2, and are provided with sockets for the wooden rails or slats I I. The base-pieces H H are also provided with lugs P P, to which IOO stay rods or braces N N are attached, and which, through suitable brackets, O O, serve to form a truss, and thus produce a light and rigid gate-arm.

To operate my vertically-swinging gate, the valves in the pipes FFare turned, and the air passes through one of these pipes and through one of the passages s to the cylinder B,whereupon the plunger G is caused to move and carry the segment-gear D, with the shaft M and the gate, up or down, as the case may be, to open or close the gate.

In the present instance I have illustrated in the drawings a built-up cylinder consisting of the ends B B and the heavy central part, B. The part B may be cast integral with the post, or it may be a separate part inserted and secured in proper position. Said part is also provided with interior shoulders, b, against which the end cylinders, B B, may abut for convenience of adjustment.

It is observed that the connection between the lever or arm for operating the gateshaft and the piston is at a point between its ends, and it is obvious that other means of connection than the gear and rack may be adopted without departing from the main features of my invention, a principal part of which consists in a construction of the duplex piston, whereby stuffing-boxes and nice fittings are dispensed with.

Vhile I propose to operate my gate by compressed air, it is obvious that steam, Water, or other fluid under pressure will answer the same purpose, or that an exhaust may be used, so as to operate the mechanism by atmospheric pressure. It is also remarked that the cocks may be operated to admit and exhaust the air from the cylinders bya moving body-such as a train of cars-through suitable chains or cables extending from the gate-house or reservoir to a distance, in a manner similar to that described in the patent to George A. Hall, No. 282,631, and dated August 7, 1883, as Well as by an attendant at the gate-house.

I am aware that a rack for operating a horizontallyarranged gear pinion or wheel in which avertical signal-arm is mounted has been connected with an engine-piston between its heads, and therefore do not broadly claim the same; but

Vhat I do claim is- 1. In a gate mechanism, the combination of an upright cylinder, a duplex piston, and a gate-arm pivoted to the cylinder frame or support and connected with the piston between its heads by means substantially as described.

2. In a gate mechanism, the combination of an upright cylinder, a duplex piston, a rack, a gear, and gate-arm pivoted to the cylinder frame or support, substantiallyas described.

In testimony WhereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

" JOHN ALBERT LiDBAoK.

lVitn esses:

GEO. A. HALL, G. L. NUTTER. 

